The invention relates to a device used in the tobacco-processing industry for the longitudinal-axial positioning of rod-shaped objects in receiving troughs of a rotating trough drum.
Devices of the type mentioned at the outset are customarily employed within the course of finishing filter cigarettes, wherein filter rod components of various standard lengths are prepared for being combined with tobacco rod components in a so-called transverse process, i.e. by being divided, staggered and lined up behind each other, all of which takes place on a conveying path constituted by a plurality of drums. In the course of this processing and handling procedure, a defined longitudinal-axial positioning, or respectively the mutual alignment of the filter rod components in their receiving troughs, which in particular is required for a cutting of filter rod components following each other, is of importance for the number of troughs defining the length of the conveying path.
It is an object of the invention to achieve the work steps required for the correct preparation of the filter rod components with a reduced outlay of conveying drums.
The above and other objects are accomplished in accordance with the invention by the provision of a pusher/cutter drum arrangement for use in the tobacco-processing industry for longitudinal-axial positioning and cutting of rod-shaped objects, comprising: a rotating trough drum containing receiving troughs for receiving, respectively, the rod-shaped objects in a staggered formation; alignment contacts extending in the receiving troughs and arranged for aligning the rod-shaped objects with one another in a transverse direction; and a rotating cutting means extending through the receiving troughs for making a transverse cut of the aligned rod-shaped objects.
Accordingly, in accordance with the invention, the trough drum for receiving the rod-shaped objects is embodied as a combined pusher/cutter drum, which has alignment contacts extending in the receiving troughs, as well as associated rotating cutting means.
Such a pusher/cutter drum is preferably used in connection with filter rod components, which have already been previously taken from stock at various standard lengths and divided. For further cutting of these divided filter rod components, it is necessary to again put them into a transverse-axial line formation. For this purpose, the pusher/cutter drum is preferably designed for putting the objects into a transverse-axial cutting formation by means of the longitudinal-axial displacement of the objects which follow each other in a staggered manner.
To achieve such a cutting alignment rapidly and over the shortest possible conveying path, it is provided according to a further feature of the invention that the alignment contacts acting on one front end of the objects can be longitudinally displaced in relation to the receiving troughs. In this way the filter rod components, which previously rested at one side against the respective alignment contacts, are allowed to yield during a cutting operation.
In order to exactly match the sequential alignment and yielding movements of the alignment means, the alignment contacts are equipped with actuating drive means, which move the alignment contacts forward into a defined contact position outside of the effective range of the cutting means, which may comprise circular cutters, whereas in the effective range of the cutting means the actuating drive means pulls the alignment contacts back out of the contact position.
The actuating drive means preferably comprise wobble plates, which rotate at the front face with the trough drum.
For assuring a defined longitudinal-axial and transverse-axial alignment of the objects, or respectively the row of objects, by simple means, it is furthermore provided that in the area of their contact surface, the alignment contacts are provided with a recess so as to form a roof area over the trough bottom of the receiving troughs, and the trough drum includes suction conduits which terminate in the roofed area and which operate together with the alignment contacts.
An assured aspirating effect is provided in accordance with an additional feature of the invention in that the suction conduits can be activated in an alignment zone, which is defined by a circumferential cover of the trough drum.
In order to make possible, or respectively to allow the selection, of a respective positioning of the objects in accordance with the requirements, in particular in connection with the cooperation of the pusher/cutter drum with subsequent drums, it is furthermore provided that the actuating drive means of the alignment contacts dipping into the receiving trough are arranged on at least one front face of the trough drum, or are alternatively arranged on both front faces of the trough drum.
The advantage achieved by the invention resides in the fact that two work steps, which normally would be in conflict with each other, can be performed on a single conveying drum, so that two follow-up drums can be omitted. As a result, the size, or respectively the structural height, of the machine unit, which as a whole is determined by the vertical and horizontal shaft distances between the conveying drums, is reduced.
The invention will be explained in what follows by means of exemplary embodiments in the drawings.